A 45-year-old TASMAC supervisor in Karur district was attacked in Velliyanai on Tuesday by four unidentified men. The men were allegedly harassing the supervisor Balakrishnan to provide them with alcohol after closing hours and when he refused, they attacked him.
The incident took place at 9.15 pm when the supervisor was closing down the outlet and leaving for his residence. Four men came up to the entrance of the outlet and demanded that he sell them liquor. Balakrishnan refused them multiple times and pointed out that the store was closed. As per government orders, TASMAC outlets have to shut down by 8pm every evening due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The men were, however, allegedly enraged by the refusal to serve them liquor and began attacking Balakrishnan. According to the police, one of the men brandished a knife and slashed the supervisor's hand. Following this, they snatched Rs 15,000 from his pocket, took his mobile phone and fled from the spot.
"We are yet to identify who the accused are but we have filed a case against four unknown persons," says an investigating officer. "They have been booked for assault and extortion," she adds.
Balakrishnan meanwhile was rushed to a government hospital and was discharged after treatment. Efforts are currently underway to nab the accused.
Attacks and theft from TASMAC employees has been a worrisome issue for years and the TASMAC Employees Union has been constantly demanding that more security measures be employed by the government at its liquor outlets.
In November 2019, a five member gang robbed Rs 4 lakh from a cashier in a TASMAC outlet in Ramanathapuram district. And in August 2019, an employee was murdered in Krishnagiri district when he was leaving his store with the earnings for the day.